Love and Lessons
by Nikkael
Summary: Starts at the end of season four and goes along the same lines as the show. Daryl learns to live with the loss of Beth with some help. But maybe he gave up too soon. Rated M just in case for later chapters- Bethyl
1. Chapter 1

**Daryl felt a chill as what Rick had just said set in. The man was just a little crazy and that made him a formidable enemy and a damn good ally. He was glad he was on the right side of that wrath.**

**Then another thing set in. Maggie was here. How the hell was he supposed to tell her that he had lost her sister? That he had failed her family again?**

**Everyone was hugging and swapping getaway stories after the prison. He noticed how certain people gravitated towards each other. Rick and Michonne sat close to each other with Carl on the other side of her. Sasha and Bob seemed to have become close, their hands were clasped between them. The military people and the fat doctor stayed together. And of course Glenn and Maggie were glued to one another with the strangest little tag along, a young woman he recognized as one of the group that attacked the prison. And then there was him. Daryl sat alone in a corner, quiet and withdrawn.**

**Then Sasha asked everyone in general if they had seen Tyrese get out. This was followed with a chorus of no's and sorrys. And then his chest seized when Maggie asked the same of Beth. Most everyone said no and sorry but Rick and Daryl looked at each other in tense silence. **

**"****Rick? Daryl? Did you see what happened to Beth?!"**

**Rick said that he hadn't which led Maggie to pin Daryl with an intense questioning stare.**

**"****Well?"**

**"****I-" he cleared his throat and tried again. "Me'n Beth got out t'gether. We was on the road t'gether. Doing good. We found this little place stocked with food, decided to stay for a while. She had hurt er ankle in a snare a bit before. But we was good" He paused to think of how to say what he had to say.**

**" ****What happened?" Maggie pressed, she needed to know.**

**He swallowed hard and looked around at the expectant faces of their group and sighed.**

**"****A dog come by earlier and run off when we opened the door. Thought the damn thing was back, stupid. Shoulda checked. My dumb ass, I just opened the door to a small herd of walkers- had to fight em. Told Beth to run. Meet at the road. Managed to take some of em down- run from the rest. Went to meet back up with er. Got to the road found her bag on the ground and a damn car drivin too fast to catch runnin but I tried. Run till I couldn't run no more and kept goin. came to an intersection. No way to track the car. I lost her. Shes jus gone."**

**He slumped down on the wall but kept eye contact with Maggie as her eyes flashed with emotion after emotion until they settled on a mix of joy that her sister may be alive and pain that they didn't know where or what she was going through. Those he understood, but what he didn't understand was Maggie getting up, walking up to him, sinking onto her knees and grabbing his face when he tried to look away. He didn't expect to hear her whispered thank you or to see the gratitude in her eyes.**

**"****What n the hell ya thankin me for? Shes gone cause I was stupid! Your sister could be dead or worse and yer thankin me?!" He pushed her away with most of the energy he had left.**

**Glenn started to protest but his wife shushed him. "Now you listen to me Daryl Dixon, and you listen good! You got her out, you stayed with her, you did everything you could for her and now you care enough to feel guilty and miss her. That is more than most men would have ever done!" When she paused for breath in the middle of her tirade Rick chimed in. **

**"****Yeah, and even I know that you would have put any marathon runner to shame tryin to find her again!"**

**"****Exactly!" Maggy exclaimed. "You need to stop takin this whole world of guilt and responsibility on yourself and realize that you did everything you could. Hell you were fighting a herd of walkers to protect her. How can you say some jackass taking her was your fault?! So you need to suck it up, man up, and live with the fact that I am so grateful for everything you did for my family. Everyone in our group has something to thank you for not just me. So deal with it, you are just gonna have to live with the love!**

**He had been gaping at her as she ranted on and on until she spewed that last line. That triggered something most of them had never really heard. Daryl Dixon was laughing. And not his usual quiet chuckle, either. He was full on guffawing as everyone else started to laugh for no reason.**

**When the laughter quieted Carl asked what had been so funny which caused another chuckle to rumble through Daryl's chest. " I was laughing at that last bit o what Maggie just said. It reminded me o how when everyone was doin that creepy hero worship thing at the prison to me. Carol told me that I was just gonna have to live with the love.**

**Everyone but Rick smiled at that and then Daryl remembered why Carol had left. To push it from his mind, he decided to bring up what they were all wanting to avoid.**

**"****So, has anyone got a real plan as to how we get outta this place?"**


	2. Chapter 2

**Carol shifted the pack on her back and kept walking down the tracks. Tyrese was taking his turn with the baby so she was on point, ready to pull her knife at any moment to defend her little family. She was still in awe that he could forgive her for what she had done, but he had and he even started joking with her and talking to her normally again the next day. **

**They had seen the signs for Terminus for miles when they came across one with a note written in what looked like blood on one of them. When they got close enough she felt a spark of hope light in her chest. Maggie was alive, maybe Glenn too. **

**Tyrese looked at her and smiled. "Lets go, we know where part of our family is."**

**Carol nodded and they started walking again, this time a little faster and with a lighter heart.**

**They had been walking for an hour or so more when they came across a grey car with a cross in the back window. It was parked in front of a small but well fortified house. The car itself was still cooling down so they knew there was at least one person here. They decided to take a chance and maneuvered through the traps and alarms. When they got to the front door Carol called out. **

**"****Anyone in there? We are friendly. Hello?" **

**She braced herself when she heard shuffling a heavy thud and then quick steps to the door. She was shocked when Beth opened the door covered in blood with a knife in her hand bounded down the stairs. **

**"****Carol! Tyrese!" She hugged them both as she started shaking. " I had to. He had me tied up. I got free, found a knife. He was about to shoot you through the door. I had to."**

**They both looked past Beth to the man who had obviously been stabbed through the skull lying on the floor with a shotgun next to him. **

**Carol held beth close, "We know, we understand. Its ok, you did what had to be done."**

**Beth nodded. "I'm gonna go clean myself up. Feel free to grab anything we will need. Gotta admit smaller groups are easier to work with, gonna be nice just the three of us." She turned to go inside but Carol stopped her.**

**"****Four." Beth frowned but as Tyrese shrugged off his pack and pulled the fabric covering Judith's head her eyes lit up and tears welled. **

**"****Oh! Thank God!" she sank to her knees and started giggling and crying.**

**Carol and Tyrese smiled as Judith smiled sleepily. "Lets get you cleaned up, sweety."**

**The next morning they were all cleaned up, fed, packed and ready to go, they headed back to the railroad tracks and started once again for Terminus.**

**As they walked Tyrese and Carol relayed their story to Beth. **

**"****I am so sorry Carol." Beth said at the end of the tale.**

**Carol nodded and looked at Beth. " How did you end up where we found you?"**

**Beth looked at her feet and Carol could tell she was trying to put everything together in her head. "Maggie went looking for Glenn and then I realized that the kids hadn't made it to the bus so I tried to find them. I guess you did that Ty, but I didn't know." She took a breath and continued. "There was so much smoke and walkers and fighting everywhere. I got lucky and ran into Daryl. We got out together, ran until our legs gave out . We rested for a while, then made our way into the forest, made camp. But we moved on again. Found this shack, it brought up some bad memories so we burnt it down." Beth stopped to think.**

**Carol smirked, "Wow, we were so close to you and didn't even realize. We saw the smoke and headed away from it." **

**Beth sighed, "Maybe if we had all found each other, what happened next would have turned out differently... We found this funeral home. It was clean like someone would be back soon. Well stocked and fortifiable, so we decided to stay for a while. I had hurt my ankle in a snare a bit before we found it so the timing was perfect. The second night we were eating, Daryl was in heaven with pigs feet and a jar of grape jelly." She chuckled painfully "Earlier in the day a dog had come up to the door. When Daryl tried to let it in it ran. We thought it was back and he went to give it another chance. I dont know what happened exactly but he started yelling my name and I came running around the corner with his crossbow. There was a herd of walkers all pushing through the door. I tossed his bow to him and he yelled at me to run. I didn't want to but I did what he asked. I don't know if he is ok now. I think I heard him yelling my name as the creep who grabbed me drove away but I'm not sure." She took in a shuddering breath.**

**Carol held her hand as they walked. "He'll be ok honey, he's Daryl. He may never stop looking for you, but he will be alive and well."**

**They came across another Terminus sign. Tyrese looked at the map and smiled, "Two more miles. We will be safe soon."**


	3. Chapter 3

**Daryl didn't like all of it, but it was a plan. Now all they had to do was wait.**

**Rick, Michonne, Abraham, Rosita, and Glenn would be the main fighting force. They would draw attention while the rest got out through the fence on the other side of the train car. Daryl, Michonne and Glenn would try to find as much of the groups belongings as they could while the rest got weapons from the buried duffel. They would meet a mile back down the tracks at the last Terminus map. If the three didn't make it back within the next hour and a half after that a search party would be sent back. Against the wishes of Glenn, Michonne and Daryl though. They didn't want anyone else getting hurt if they were taken. But no one would listen.**

**"****Well you all just better make it back in time so we don't have to come find you." Maggie said matter of factly. **

**Everyone agreed with that.**

**Now they were waiting.**

**As he sat he watched everyone in their little groups tense and tired but happy nonetheless because they were almost all together. It made him wonder. Was Sasha ever going to find Tyrese? How worried was she? Did Rick and Carl have any hope that Lil Asskicker was ok? What was Maggie thinking? He had so many questions and he needed to know, was Carol ok? Had he worked so hard to save Lil Asskicker, had it all been for nothing? Why did it hurt so bad that he had lost Beth? Why did he have this constant niggling in the back of his mind telling him to get up and find her and never let her out of his sight again?**

**He didn't have a clue. His thoughts were interrupted by the telltale clanking of gears as the door slowly unlocked. Everyone got into position.**

**The door opened.**

****

******Sorry It is so short. I will Make up for it in the next. Thanks for reading! Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Carol, Beth and Tyrese were at the mile marker for Terminus when they saw a group of people all running towards them. They could all hear the sounds of gunshots and a sudden explosion. **

**As the group got closer they all saw who was who. There were a few people the three didn't recognise but most were from the prison. The reunion was hurried but no less happy. They all went into the woods as soon as the shock wore off. Maggie and Beth stayed close as did Tyrese and Sasha. Carl insisted that he could carry the little back carrier that contained his sister and they let him. **

**As they waited, the new additions were introduced and the whole group sat anxiously waiting for the final three members of their little family to join them. **

**Carol was anxious to see Rick and Daryl. She didn't know how either of them would react to seeing her with the group but she had hope. If Tyrese could forgive her for what she had done she had to believe her two best friends could too. Carl was of course worried for his dad but his added concern for Michonne led her to believe something more had happened between Rick and the other woman. Carol hoped so, they both deserved some happy. What made Carol smile was the way Beth had reacted when she found out Daryl was with the group and how alert she was scanning the woods around them and listening for even the slightest hint of an approach. It gave her hope, Beth and Daryl should get some happy too. As Carol gazed across the group she saw Maggie smile. She saw what Beth was doing too. **

**They all heard a whisper and got quiet. Looking around they saw three people come out of the shadows.**

**Maggie ran to Glenn, Carl bounded over to Rick and Michonne, Judith in his arms which caused several smiles and some tears on Rick's part. It took a moment for Daryl to realise how the baby had gotten there. Then his gaze hit Tyrese, moved to Carol which triggered a smile on both of their faces, and then he saw Beth. When his gaze fell on her a look of shocked relief graced his face and all of his breath whooshed out of his body as she gave a cry and launched herself across the distance between them into his arms, causing him to drop his crossbow. **

**Carol smiled and thought, ****_Good._**

****

******Wow I am such a liar. The chapters will get longer I swear!**


	5. Chapter 5

He didn't know how, but she was here. She was safe. She was in his arms holding on to him as tight as he was to her.

Oh crap, she was in his arms. And everyone was staring.

He cleared his throat and set Beth down stepping back as he gently but swiftly disengaged her arms from around his neck. It was then that she obviously noticed everyone looking because she ducked her head and blushed shuffling her feet.

Daryl picked up his crossbow and looked around focusing on Rick.

"So, where we goin now?"

Rick considered the group for a moment and then gave a sigh.

"We are going to have to take and run a wide berth around what's left of Terminus and keep going. Find some transportation and scavenge supplies. Abraham wants to get him and his people to Washington so maybe we head in that direction until we find a place for all of us to rest up a bit." He looked down at his children, then turned his gaze to each member of the group, gauging their attitude towards the idea. Seeming to find what he was looking for, he gave a sharp nod. "Let's move then."

As the group made it's way around the hostile camp and beyond, they settled into attitudes and groupings they had adapted after they split from the prison. Rick, Carl, and Michonne at the front with the happy addition of Judith. Sasha and Bob stayed close to Maggie, Glenn, and Tara. Rosita and Abraham always stayed next to Eugene. Tyrese always made sure Sasha was always in sight but stayed with Carol which Rick had voiced concerns about until Tyrese said that she did what she did for the good of the group and that it weighed heavy on her. He had forgiven her so Rick should too.

Rick backed off after that.

At first Beth and Maggie had stayed close to one another but as they moved along the younger of the sisters gravitated towards Daryl and they fell into the same easy silent rhythm they had before.

They walked for days like that, camping at night with tin can alarms set up, staying in their little sets within the larger group, shifting watch ultimately by group instead of individuals. They had found unexpired baby food and a relieving stash of canned goods as well as some bottled water in a little roadside store between two small towns. They adapted a penguin like formation when dealing with walkers. They would move in a rotating spiral so no one person was stuck dealing with defense all the time but everyone could help if needed.

It was a relief when they came across a multi-vehicle family home that had been undisturbed. After dispatching the walkers that had obviously once been the owners of the home, everyone got to work. The house was reinforced for a few days rest and alarms were set. Watch posts were determined and a schedule agreed on. All usable supplies were gathered and distributed while the minivan and the truck parked in the garage were refueled, tuned up and partially packed.

Daryl was pleased to find a Harley in perfect running order in a small shed off the garage with all the saddlebags and emergency tools already packed. A few minor adjustments later, he parked it next to the other vehicles causing a round of chuckles and teasing from the group.

"There ain't enough room in the others. Two people were gonna be in the bed of the damn truck. Now me n someone else can ride the bike. But none o the guys tha's jus uncomfortable."

Everyone nodded, laughed and started working on car assignments so no one would get left behind if they had to leave in a hurry. When it came down to who would ride with Daryl, Maggie surprised everyone by suggesting Beth.

"Well, they seem comfortable with each other and Carol already volunteered to help with Judith so Beth is the obvious choice." She turned to Beth and Daryl and asked them, "That's alright with you two, right?" When he shrugged and Beth nodded, Maggie smiled. "Perfect. So we have Beth with Daryl, Michonne, Carl, Carol, Judith, and Tyrese with Rick in the truck, and Sasha, Bob, Glenn, Me, Tara, Rosita, and Eugene with Abraham in the van." When everyone agreed they started going through their inventory while they settled in for the night. They ate soup out of bowls for the first time in weeks and rejoiced that the house had a solar water heater and took turns showering with actual soap in hot water.

Beth and Carol found a couple pairs of scissors and some razors so they decided to cut everyone's hair and told all the men shave or at least trim their facial hair.

Almost everyone agreed and sat goodnaturedly when it was their turn. Everyone except Carl and Daryl.

Carl was an easy fix, his dad pinned his arms to his body while Michonne sat on his legs and held his face still for Carol and Beth to quickly trim off a few inches of his overly long hair and the whole group laughed and teased, Daryl among them.

He stopped laughing when they finished and turned to look at him. He started to back up, shaking his head as Carl started chuckling with the rest of the group as Beth and Carol began to advance on him.

He wasn't expecting Tyrese and Abraham both to grab him and force him into a chair. Nor was he expecting Rick to hold tight to his ankles to keep him from kicking, Cursing up a storm, he started shaking his head and jerking any time Carol brought scissors near him.

"Why can't ya jus leave me the hell alone?!"

Carol looked at Beth and motioned for her to hold his head still. When Beth quietly asked how, Carol pantomimed what she would need to do while Daryl wasn't paying attention.

Rick started to loose his grip so Beth did what Carol suggested. She quickly moved and threw her leg over Daryl's lap like she was mounting a horse, plopped down and grabbed his face in both her hands. She wasn't strong enough to actually hold him still but he froze anyway not hearing the round of chuckles and teasing comments. He didn't struggle when Carol used the scissors to trim off a couple inches of freshly cleaned hair.

When Carol announced that she was done he seemed to snap out of the stupor he was in. Rick let go of his legs as he shrugged off Tyrese and Abraham. Beth dropped her hands to his shoulders and, without breaking eye contact, used them to push her way backwards and stand up.

Daryl cleared his throat, shook his head, stood up , and began running his hand through his hair while everyone moved to find places to sleep or prep for watch.

Beth looked at him for a second longer then went to wait for their turn on watch.


End file.
